The four new Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blushes ($24 each)

More new spring stuff from Smashbox! — a line of halo-inducing blushes (for angelic cheeks, perhaps?) and lipsticks.

These are the kinds of blushes where you twist and shave off what ya need. Little gimmicky, but I think it’s kinda fun.

When I swatched them, they seemed super sheer, so if you like the look of a lightly flushed cheek, or you just want something clutz-proof and easy, you might want to give ‘em a try.

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Okay, Tina Turner, what’s love got to do with it?

We’re looking at the new Smashbox spring collection, a six-piece release called Love Me, at the Sephora store in Novato.

Oh, and I’d also like to introduce you to my new friend/Sephora Novato mascott, Husky Dog.

‘Tsup?

Have fun swatching. I’ll just stay here and guard this post…

I guess she was hanging out and waiting for her assistant. I tried to strike up a convo, but she paid me no mind…

First off, the two eyeshadow palettes from the collection. If I could only pick two things from the release, these are two I’d get. They’re really soft, almost creamy, and very pigmented. Mmm, hmm…

The line art on the packaging spells “Love Me.” (The heart is the “M.”) And when you open it, you see the curvy lines on the pan.

Nice touch.

And the blush. If you look closely, you’ll see hearts on the pan…

…and hearts on the two lipsticks. (Or are those peace signs?? Or rabbit ears??).
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Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Hibiscus

Dear Self,

Please keep in mind these notes on lipgloss and life, and hold on to them when you’re feeling sad or yucky.

Remember…

…that you can always change your circumstances. It’s not always as easy as changing your lipgloss, but sometimes it’s the smallest changes that make the biggest impact (see: the Smashbox Shades of Fame Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss Set, $29, which includes five tiny travel-size glosses).

If you’re lonely, reach out! Put those fingers to work, and email, tweet or text a friend or coworker. Maybe make a lunch date.

When you start feeling like you’re stuck in a rut, shake things up! There are BIG shakes, like planning a trip, so you have something fun to look forward to, and little shakes, like committing to do just one thing differently today, even if it’s just walking down a street in your neighborhood that you’ve never explored before.

Always remember that you’re not alone, even when you feel lonely. The pressure you sometimes feel to be funny, creative and interesting, the doubt, the constant wondering if you’ll be able to think of exciting new ways to call something “neutral” or “nude.”

People understand that you’re only human; no one can be on all the time.

Remember what works for you, and write like a crazy person! Write with reckless abandon. Write as fast as you can! Don’t worry about word counts, deadlines and cutting stuff down, because you can deal with all of that stuff later.

Remember that you have the power to change your point of view. See silver linings, and welcome new challenges with open arms and a positive attitude.

Remember that you can do this. You can write raw, and you can write real.

Remember that everyone sees the same things in different ways. Some might see the five tubes in the Smashbox Shades of Fame Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss Set, and think, “Meh, just another limited edition batch of standard summer glosses…”

They may not get beyond the surface details, like how thick and sticky these feel, how moisturizing they are (very), their light vanilla flavor and scent, sheer-to-medium pigment or their three-hour wear time.

Others might see the same glosses, however, and think, “Wow… Lipgloss is kinda like life.”

Sometimes, it’s all sparkly and beautiful and everything you ever wanted it to be. Other times, it’s gritty, and not at all what you expected. Sometimes, it disappears too fast, or you get your hair stuck in it, and that really sucks … especially if you’re on a bicycle without brakes (been there, done that).

Papaya
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Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be famous? Pretty much, I think it would not be fun. Not being able to run to Target in my jammies for bananas and dental floss, or have lunch at a sidewalk cafe without hearing everyone around you whisper, “It’s that actress from that show with that guy,” or accidentally do something really awkward and ridiculous, like falling on your butt in the rain and cursing, “Dammit all to hell!” without it going viral on YouTube later that night.

No thanks.

The closest I want to get to fame is the new Smashbox Shades of Fame Eye Palette ($48). I did a couple of looks with it today following the tutorials from the booklet that come with the kit.

The Test Shoot look

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Smashbox has a thing for celebrity. Over the past year or so, they’ve featured film, photography and now straight-up fame, with the Smashbox Shades of Fame collection for summer 2012.

For eyes, there’s the $48 warm-toned Shades of Fame Eye Palette & Brush, with its nine powder shadows, two cream liners, a tiny tube of Photo Finish Lid Primer, dual-tipped eye brush and a tutorial booklet with step-by-step instructions to create three different looks.

And lips get love, too, with the $28 Shades of Fame Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss Set and its five frisky travel-size glosses in Candy, Buff, Hibiscus, Papaya and Star.

Star… Candy, a movie buff, wore a hibiscus in her hair when she accepted the Academy Award for her performance in Papaya Star.

LOL! Everyone wants to be a star.

Both sets are available now at Sephora stores and also online.

Here’s a closer look at spring’s Shades of Fame…

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